Attractions
National Atomic Testing Museum |
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National Atomic Testing Museum Details
- Hours of operation: Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. Closed on major holidays.
- Cost: $14 general admission. Discounted rates for seniors, students, children and military personnel with proper identification.
- Payment options: Cash, Mastercard and Visa.
- Reservations: No.
- Location: Approximately three miles from the Strip.
- Age/Height/Weight restrictions: None.
National Atomic Testing Museum Review
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Area 51 comes to Vegas
If you're a fan of "X-Files," "Roswell" or anything out of this world, a visit to the Atomic Testing Museum's Area 51 display hits the spot.
In the mid-50s, the CIA created Area 51 to test U.S. military projects. The vast desert space made it the ideal location. These military planes traveled so fast (the A-12 being capable of zooming 2,000 miles per hour), that it added to the rumors already circulating about unidentified flying objects. You'll even see an A-12 pressure suit up close.
Read news articles on the first reported UFO sightings, biographies on investigative journalists and information on high-tech test planes that seems far beyond its time. See what you look like in the mirror (from the perspective of an alien) and try on a pair of goggles to have alien eye vision.
One of the most interesting parts of this exhibit is the Milky Way room. Fun fact: The Milky Way extends 100,000 light years across, with earth being 26,000 light years from the center. And just as recently as October 1995, scientists discovered the first planet outside the solar system. Not only does this remind us how small our planet really is, but that life outside Earth is possible.
You can easily spend an hour or two walking around in here. The Area 51 tour is only an additional $6 with admission to the museum. |
Fireworks on Fourth of July has nothing on this.
If you want to witness some real, larger-than-life explosions, the 10,000-square-foot National Atomic Testing Museum is right up your alley. Not only will you get to see atomic bombs fill the sky on TV screens and pictures scattered throughout the facility, but you'll be exposed to all the history and pop culture behind these events.
Located at the Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology Building in the Desert Research Institute campus on Swenson Avenue and Flamingo Road, the National Atomic Testing Museum is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. In late 1991, Congress deemed the attraction as the only official atomic museum. You can easily spend three to four hours in here because there's so many news articles, photos, artifacts and video presentations to take in.
In the 1950s, the Nevada Test Site was the country's only nuclear testing location. Since it was only 65 miles away from Las Vegas, the clouds were so humungous that you can see them from the city. While testing stopped in 1992, the museum preserved all of the propaganda. If you're not a history or science buff, don't worry: There's a Disney film that breaks down all of the ins and outs of atomic testing.
Once you understand how an atomic bomb works, you'll read a wall full of history on things like the Cold War and famed scientist Albert Einstein. In addition, you'll learn about the country's biggest bomb test, "Bravo." This bomb blew more than three miles wide.
Stick around and watch the film at Ground Zero Theater. The shell of the theater is designed to look like the concrete bunkers used at the Nevada Test Site. Once you step inside the "bunker," you'll get to watch atomic bomb tests on the big screen, feel the "blast" with built-in wind effects, as well as vibrations on your seat. It'll be like you were at the site yourself.
Don't miss fun displays, such as the "Atom Bomb and Pop Culture" showcase. You'll see everything from comics to a recipe book called "Atomic Cocktails: Mixed drinks for Modern Times," Atomic Fireball candy and much more. Toy with fun little gadgets like setting a bomb off (not a real life one, but on a movie screen), look at before-and-after pictures of mannequins exposed to radioactivity with a magnifying glass and even test your own radioactivity.
Along the walls of the attraction, read about history and pop culture from the 1940s through the millennium. You'll also get to see the massive B-53 thermonuclear weapon up close. The Atomic Testing Museum also pays tribute to other historic events, such as 9/11.
If there's anything you're more curious about, the staff at the museum is more than happy to help.
The gift shop offers a variety of unique souvenirs and gift ideas, from T-shirts and Albert Einstein action figures to books, trinkets and toys.
-- Review by Jeannie Garcia
